Been tracking this news over the last few days.
Avian Influenza and West Nile Encephalitis have been ruled out. But something neurological, and likely contagious is affecting wild birds in the continental USA, following migratory pathways north as the weather warms.
A wide range of species is affected. Can't find any mentions of a jump to local poultry farms. Considering the temperature of late, birds will move north much faster than normal, so Canada should already be affected.
If you are living in the travel corridor of the migration, the authorities' advice to not handle any dead birds is probably obvious. We've already seen what can happen.
Nobody has identified a cause yet, but it's coming up from South America.
